It’s been a while since the Philadelphia 76ers won an NBA Championship. Moreover, it’s been a while since they made it to the NBA Finals and had a legit shot at winning a ring.
The last person who made that possible was Allen Iverson. Up to this day, he’s still one of the greatest icons not only in Sixers history but also in basketball culture as a whole.
That’s why he’s kind of shocked to realize that, after all these years, the Sixers organization has never reached out to him to offer him a job:
“IVERSON: Everybody knows who I would rather help.
“ROOKS: You don’t care to be specific?
“IVERSON: I’m a Sixer for life. I got Sixer blood pumping through me. Everybody knows that I want to help that organization. I’ve been retired, what, 11 years? I don’t know how I’m not a part of that staff, some kind of way.
“ROOKS: Almost like a consultant, that’d be really nice if you were –
“IVERSON: That’s all. Even if it was that. I would be the happiest in the world. And the money thing? Ain’t got nothing to do with it. It’s just me being me, and me being a Sixer and wanting to help. I don’t know why nothing’s been put in place.
“And I still love y’all. Don’t get it twisted. It’s all love, and it ain’t going nowhere, but I just… it’s something that I don’t understand.”
Maybe Iverson doesn’t strike as the coaching type. But he sure knows a thing or two about basketball.
It’s not unusual to see former players coming back home to help the team in any sort of capacity, even as an ambassador. So yeah, it’s kind of odd to think that Iverson has been around all these years and they never even reached out to him.
It’s never too late, Philly.
